Knockdown furniture



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet1.

D. LYNN.

KNOUKDOWN- FURNITURE.

No. 599,107. Patented Feb. 15, 1898.

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' KNOGKDOWN FURNITURE.

No. 599,107. Patented Feb. 15, 1898.

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DAVID LYNN, OF ATHENS, PENNSYLVANIA.

KNOCKDOWNFURNITURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,107, dated February 15, 1898.

Application filed Septemherfil, 1897. Serial No. 652,433. (No model.)

To all whom it may] concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID LYNN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Athens, in the count-y of Bradford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knockdown Furniture; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and

' exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object to improve knockdown furniture that is, furniture which is put and held together in greater part without the use of screws, nails, or glue and which may be easily taken apart for storage or transportation purposes-it being particularly adapted for use in the making of bureaus and cases for drawers, though some of the features of the invention are applicable to other articles of furniture.

The invention in its preferred form is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of an article of furniture embodying my improvements, parts of the drawers being broken away. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view illustrating the arrangement of and the means for connecting the several parts of the article. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, the drawer being omit-ted.

In the drawings, 1 represents the rear board or piece of the case, which is usually secured to the other parts by screws.

2 2 represent the end boards or pieces, each of which has a number of dovetailed grooves 20 formed in its inner face and has its upper end provided with a dovetailed tenon 3. The top of the case 4 is preferably provided with an ornamental molding 40 along its front edge and sides, and in this molding are formed the grooves to receive the tenons 3 on the end boards. These grooves are open at their rear ends, so that the top may be slid into place from the front to the rear.

5 5 represent the frames, which serve to unite the end pieces of the case, and also serve to separate and support the drawers 6.

They

are rectangular and centrally open and at their ends are provided wit-h tenons 8, which areadapted to fit the grooves 20 in the end boards. I

To the under side of the top there is secured, near its front edge and preferablymidway between the grooves 30, a depending bracket 10, which is secured to the frame 5, as by a screw 11. This bracket servesto separate two small drawers 6', which are carried upon the upper frame 5, and its front edge is preferably flush with the front faces of the drawers when they are pushed into the case. The bracket'might be long enough to extend to the second frame, and if it were desired to have more than two small drawers supported by the upper frame a plurality of these brackets might be employed.

At the front of the case there are two corner pieces or posts 12 12, which respectively cover the ends of the end boards 2 and operate to prevent the frames from sliding in the grooves 20 after the parts are assembled. The frames are provided on their front edges and at either end with short tenons 13, arranged at right angles to the tenons Sand adapted to engage with grooves 14, formed in the corner-pieces 12. When the corner-pieces are thus connected with the'frames, the portion of the corner-piece 15 which is beyond the grooves lies in front of the edge of theend board, this portion of the corner-piece being preferably rabbeted. The engaging edges of the end board and corner-pieces (represented at 16) are beveled, so that when they are forced together into the completely-assembled position these beveled edges, riding'upon each other, will cause a slight transverse movement of the tenons and grooves, by which the end boards and frames are united, so that their opposing edges will bind upon each other, with the result that all looseness of the parts is taken up.- If thought desirable, as I consider it to be, the rear edges of the end boards may be beveled, as at 17, and the rear board 1 of the case provided with vertical strips or cleats 19, which are adapted to engage with the rear beveled edges of the end boards when such rear board is secured in place, operating to tighten the parts, as has been described.

In cases for drawers it is usual to separate each drawer from those below and above it by means of horizontal strips which constitute a portion of the front of the case. I prefer, however, to dispense with such stripsand to make the front boards 60 of the drawers wide enough to cover the ends of the frames 5, so that when the drawers are closed the edges of the front boards are practically in engagement with each other. This manner of constructing the drawers cheapens the construction and at the same time lessens the liability of the drawers sticking within the case, as I have found that such horizontal drawer'separating strips are a frequent cause of the drawers sticking or working badly. If it be desired to give to the drawers the appearance of being separated by separatingpieces, this may be done by beading or molding the front boards of the drawers along their adjacent edges.

The drawers are provided at their upper rear corners with antifriction rollers 18, mounted in suitable supports, so as to run in engagement with the under sides of the frames. They operate to cause the drawers to slide easily and also prevent them from tipping down at the front when the drawers are partially drawn out. The supports for these rollers may be secured either to the rear or top edges of the sides of the drawers.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. They combination of the end pieces, frames united thereto by dovetailed tenons and grooves, and means for forcing the end pieces outward relative to the frames,whereby the engaging faces of the grooves and tenons are forced transversely into engagement, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the end pieces and frames united by dovetailed tenons and grooves, of beveled faces with which the end pieces engage for forcing the engaging tenons and grooves transversely into close engagement with each other, substantially as set forth.

end pieces, and beveled faces which engage when the end pieces are brought into engagement with the corner-pieces, for forcing the tenons and grooves transversely into close engagement, substantially as set forth.

4.. The combination with the end pieces and frames united by dovetailed tenons and grooves, of a back board provided with means for engaging with the end pieces to crowd them outward whereby the said tenons and grooves are forced into close engagement with each other, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the end pieces provided with dovetailed grooves in their inner faces, the frames which unite the end pieces, provided with tenons which fit the grooves in the end pieces, and with tenons 011 their front edges at either end, corner-pieces provided with grooves whichfit the tenons at the front edges of the frames, and With which the end pieces engage when they are slid into place, the engaging faces of the corner-pieces and end pieces being beveled, for the purposes set forth, and the back board adapted to be secured to the frames and to engage with the end pieces when it is secured in place, the engaging faces of the end pieces and the back board being beveled, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The combination of the end pieces, the connecting-frames, the top secured to the end pieces, and the depending bracket secured to the top near its front edge, and adapted to be secured to the frame next the top, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID LYNN.

Witnesses:

"E. O. GREGORY, D. J. MACAFEE. 

